WBC “50th” Sunday work session report

Report and photos by Boxing Bob Newman

The heavy workload of meetings and opening ceremony preparations for the WBC’s 50th anniversary convention continued today at the Grand Oasis Hotel in Cancun, Mexico. The referee portion of the Ring Officials seminar took place simultaneously with the continuation of the ratings committee and a private meeting of the WBC Board of Governors.

Ring Officials chairman Hubert Minn and Bruce McTavish ran the referee portion of the ring officials seminar in the Arena. More video footage was shown, displaying various scenarios requiring referee intervention and decision making. One such fight was the recent Marcos Maidana – Jesus Soto-Karass clash in which both fighters continued fighting after a call to break by referee Kenny Bayliss. Both fighters were deducted one point in the same round (4) for the same infraction. Upon the conclusion of the referee exercise, certificates of completion were handed out to all who participated in either portion of the two day seminar.

Meanwhile, the ratings committee worked through more weight categories, starting at lightweight and moving downward. While a total of ten weight categories were completed, several members of the ratings committee had to leave to attend the third concurrent meeting of the day- the closed Board of Governors meeting.

Among agenda items up for discussion in the Board of Governors meeting was a proposal by president Sulaiman to declare February 2nd as Nelson Mandela Human Equality Day. February 2nd is the date that Mandela was released after 27 years in prison in South Africa during Apartheid.

Sulaiman also wishes to continue with plans for a World Cup of Boxing, where the “best face the best.”

Anibal Miramontes of Fight Fax made a presentation to the board about the record keeping institution that has been known as the boxing industry standard.

Bob Yalen presented the proposed “Boxing Visa” prototype to the board. The visa will serve much like a world travel visa in conjunction with a fighter’s passport, boxing license and so on. It is designed to prevent an impostor fighter from traveling abroad in place of a contracted fighter.

A general Board of Governors meeting will be held later this week with the full agenda open for discussion.

Tonight is a welcoming cocktail party in the Pyramid lobby of the Grand Oasis Hotel.